


Support System

by Brynn_Jones



Series: Home [3]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Angst, Arguments, Family Bonding, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-11
Updated: 2016-11-11
Packaged: 2018-08-30 07:01:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8523211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brynn_Jones/pseuds/Brynn_Jones
Summary: The aftermath of Sandra asking Liv to come live with her.





	

**Author's Note:**

> You should definitely read the first two stories in my Home series for this to make sense :)
> 
> It has been pointed out to me by a good soul that Aaron's reaction (well, the lack of it really) in my last story was out of character for him. So this is my attempt to correct it, while also trying to make it seem as if that was what I had intended to do all along :) Let me know what you think.

"You seemed awfully calm in there," noted Aaron as they were getting ready to sleep that night. He was still reeling from Liv's conversation with Sandra that afternoon. He would've never thought she would ask Liv to leave and therefore had felt completely blindsided by the whole thing.

Robert hummed in response.

Aaron stopped in the middle of taking off his sweatshirt. "What? That's all you're gonna say?"

Robert sighed, running a hand through his flaxen hair. "I might have known that would happen," he said hesitantly, watching Aaron intently for a reaction.

The brunet scowled at him. "What do you mean? I spent the whole drive here from the airport talking to Sandra and she never once mentioned taking Liv away. In fact, she said how chuffed she was that she's settling in."

Robert raised his eyebrows. "She did?"

Aaron threw out his hands. "Yes! And then suddenly, there she is sitting on our couch and trying to take Liv 'home', whatever that means," he ranted.

The blond man walked over to his fiancé, stopping only when he was in an arm's reach. "I'm sorry, babe. I should've told you about it."

"About what?"

Robert decided to just come clean. "I had a bit of a chat with Liv last week. She had just found out that Sandra was coming to visit and was panicking that she would try to take her away. I calmed her down."

"And you didn't tell me about this, why?" Aaron questioned with a tilt of his head.

Robert tried to defend himself, "It seemed to be dealt with, I didn't want you to worry unnecessarily."

"Only it wouldn't be unnecessary, would it?" Aaron snarked with an ugly curl of his lip. Robert hated it when he got like that, there was no reasoning with him, when he started getting vicious.

"Aaron-"

"At least I would've known what to expect!" said Aaron, his voice rising in volume.

"And then do what?" questioned Robert, "What would you have done, Aaron?"

"Talked to Sandra on our way from the airport, for one."

Robert rolled his eyes. "Oh, and Sandra would've listened to you, would she?"

"Well, we'll never know, since you didn't think it was important to tell me what was going on. As usual," Aaron snarled.

Robert was taken aback. "Are you having a go? I did what I could do to help Liv."

"Yeah, except for telling me what was going on!"

"Not that you helped much once you knew!" Robert bit back, feeling that Aaron's criticism wasn't completely fair. Sure, perhaps he should've told him about Liv's worries, but it wasn't like Aaron had bent over backwards to support his sister when things came to a head.

Aaron bristled. "You what? What was I supposed to do?"

"I don't know!" yelled Robert. "Maybe tell Sandra where to get off? That Liv wants to stay with us?"

"Does she though?" shouted Aaron, causing Robert to freeze, all of the fight leaving his body.

"What are you on about?" whispered Robert, not quite sure what to make of Aaron's comment.

His fiancé deflated, flopping to sit down on his side of the bed. "Sandra is her mum, isn't she? Of course Liv is going to want to stay with her," he said, voice raspy and weirdly quiet after all that shouting.

Robert snorted. "She didn't seem too keen, did she?"

The brunet shrugged, quiet for a moment. His eyes were boring into their plush carpet, incapable of meeting Robert's, when he finally spoke. "When I lived with dad," he started slowly, "I would've jumped at the chance to go with me mum had she asked. I missed her like crazy and I can't imagine Liv not missing Sandra the same way."

Robert bit his lip, finally understanding where Aaron was coming from. Crouching in front of his lover, he put a hand on the man's trembling knee. "Of course she does," he said quietly, "but there's also a lot of hurt there. It's difficult for anyone to have their life completely upended - now imagine what it must be like for Liv. She has finally settled in somewhere and now she's to move again? I'm not surprised she blew a gasket."

Aaron gave Robert an uncertain look. "So Liv really meant it then? She wants to stay?"

Robert squeezed his lover's knee. "Yes. Trust me, babe, she's not going anywhere. Not without a fight."

Aaron nodded, opening his mouth to say something else but a quick knock at their door interrupted him.

"Come in," called Robert, already suspecting who was behind the door. And sure enough, a blond little head peeked inside a beat later.

"You done shouting?" Liv asked.

Aaron rubbed his hands down his thighs, standing up. "For now," he said, attempting a joking tone.

Liv nodded and her head was soon followed by the rest of her body, the teenager stepping inside their room, closing the door behind her softly. "Sorry for making a scene down there," she said with a wince. Robert couldn't tell if the grimace was a natural reaction to the mentioned scene or to the fact she was apologising.

"No worries," shrugged Robert, shooting a look at Aaron, "not your fault."

Aaron hummed in agreement. "Yeah, I should probably be the one to do the apologising. I should've stepped in."

Liv scoffed. "And do what?"

"Supported you," the brunet said and while he was speaking to Liv, he was looking at Robert. It almost seemed as f he was looking for approval, so Robert nodded his head to let him know he was on the right track.

Liv didn't really appreciate the sentimentality though. "Don't be soft," she muttered, shifting in place uncomfortably, and Robert could tell she was suppressing an eye roll.

Deciding he had enough of the tension, Robert stepped forward and grabbed both siblings by the shoulders, bringing them into a tight family hug. He wrapped his long arms around his two most favourite people in the world and closed his eyes, pressing his cheek to the side of Aaron's head. "Come here, you," he mumbled into his lover's hair, feeling his tense frame slowly relax in his hold. Robert ran a hand up and down Aaron's back, while trying to keep a hold on to a wiggling Liv with his other hand at the same time. He tightened his grip, squishing the three of them together more closely, and held tight until Liv stopped trying to escape and surrendered to his affections.


End file.
